After finishing my housesit at Okere Falls I drove straight down to my current one, which sees me back in the Manawatu to look after a repeat property in Rongotea. This is my third invitation to stay here over the past twelve months and it’s quickly become a second home. I’ve been booked for another stay in February next year and then again in March.
I really like it here, it’s so quiet. The house is at the end of a no-exit rural road so the traffic noise is zero. And the nearest neighbour is about half a kilometre away. About all I hear around this place are the birdies and a few sheep and cows on the farms next door.
Both Beryl and Iris seem pleased to see me back again. They probably know they get a bit spoiled whenever Uncle Craig comes to stay. 😉
The run-off block around the corner is grazing a couple mobs of grown beefies and a handful of Murray Grey bull calves. The grass cover is really good so they’re getting loads to eat, but there’re some conventional bales of hay and small bales of silage to feed out if needed. Three smaller calves live around the house.
The owners have toddled off to Western Australia where they will be doing a motor home excursion along the coast and through the interior with two other Kiwi couples. I’m here until October 28th, which gives me just over 5 weeks in total, so a nice long stay.













One Comment
Wendy Hopkins
October 3 2026 at 1:39 PMThere’s something really special about being invited back to the same property time and again. You get to know the animals, the routines and all the little quirks of the place. Sounds like you’ve found a lovely spot there, Craig. Five weeks of peace and quiet in the countryside sounds pretty good to me!